Wolfrom Engineering

This small office building was constructed to house a structural engineering firm. Set on a mixed commercial and residential street, the building’s scale echoes the latter while its design explores the firm’s metier, thematizing structural expression.

In contrast to the turn-of-the-century homes that surround it, 345 Wardlaw stands out as a very contemporary architectural statement. Built for Wolfrom Engineering Limited in 1996, the modern two-storey office structure was constructed using a variety of materials. In fact, across the building one can find concrete (both precast and cast in place), steel and wood—all major structural elements regularly used in construction across the twentieth century. Much of the material used for Wolfrom Engineering’s office was repurposed from demolished structures in the neighbourhood. The building was designed by architect David Penner and is one of Penner’s earliest solo projects in Winnipeg.